


Wait For It

by redth0t13



Category: There Will Be Blood
Genre: Blasphemy, Canon-Typical Violence, Cults, Death Note References, Duelling, Eli did nothing wrong, Emotional Manipulation, Everything's legal in jersey, F/M, Falling In Love, Hamilton References, Murder, Period-Typical Sexism, Religious Cults
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:14:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26296252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redth0t13/pseuds/redth0t13
Summary: "Excuse me, are you Alexandra Burr?"Those were the words that would change her life.
Relationships: Eli Sunday/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 5





	Wait For It

“Excuse me, are you Alexandra Burr?” A man asked, approaching a well dressed woman seated across from what he could assume was her date. She looked at him with eyes like a doe, wide and inquisitive, yet she seemed weary. It was obvious she had money, and luckily for her, that’s what he was looking for. Though, the longer she stared at him, the more flustered he became. He was a soft spoken gentleman, wearing his Sunday best for what she assumed was an afternoon on the town. 

“Sir? That depends,” she smirked, humor glimmering in her eyes in a way he’d never seen before. “Who’s asking?” She continued, but he found himself at a loss for words. He realized in those moments that he never saw her around before, nor the ladies seated at the table behind them. He stood awkwardly, gripping the brim of his hat so tight his knuckles went white, and suddenly he was reminded of the reason why he hardly came into town. The giggles of the women behind him, the sounds of glasses hitting the wooden tables, and the smell of smoke all revolted him. They were living in sin but they didn’t realize it. 

_ But not her _ , his mind sang subtly, even though he wasn’t sure why.

The man in front of her kept trying to get her attention, talking despite her attention being drawn to the blushing man beside her, tapping the table in front of her to no avail. She was captivated by him, though she couldn’t say why. Perhaps she was amused by him, he seemed so out of place, and he was beat red by the time he spoke again.

“Oh, sure, I’m sorry…” She finally turned her attention back to the man in front of her. She shooed him away, much to the man’s dismay. He sat with his mouth wide open and eyes wide in shock. He then pursed his lips and stood - aggressively - and stomped off. She knew what that man wanted, despite the fact that she would never give it.

“I’m Eli Sunday, I’m from the church just outside of town-”

“Oh! I’ve heard of it. Why don’t you have a seat? I’d hate to keep you standing like this.” She smiled and gestured to the now vacant seat, which he stared at with eyes as wide as saucers. He made his way over to the chair, still gripping the hat, though he put it on the table as soon as he sat down. 

“Thank you, miss.” He said in a hushed tone. She smiled and waited for him to continue, which after a moment, continue he did. He went on and on about his church, which she found mesmerizing. While normally she wasn’t a religious person, preferring to keep her beliefs to herself, she found that this mystery man was quite persuasive. He made every aspect of it sound enticing, like it held the secrets to life itself, and for a moment she wondered if he was sent from the heavens. She couldn’t help but smile, even after he asked her to donate. 

“I’d love to attend one day, actually. With the way you make it sound, it must be lovely.” He smiled at her, keeping his thoughts to himself as they ran rampant with prideful words. He wouldn’t dare say them aloud, nor would he praise himself. Not yet, anyway. 

“My aunt and uncle are having my cousins and I stay here for a week or two, though really we’re just passing through.” She gazed out the window for a moment, and her blue eyes shone with some sort of longing, though for what he couldn’t place. 

“I’ll go, and I promise I’ll donate. I’d just like to see what it’s like since you speak so highly of it. And if you speak so eloquently, I’d love to hear how the preacher speaks.” The color had returned to his face almost immediately. 

“Oh, that would be me.” He muttered, and her eyes widened. She smiled wider, leaning forward for a moment and breaking her nearly perfect posture. 

“Really? That makes sense now, I feel so dumb.” She laughed before straightening back up. “You really have a talent for public speaking! Though I’d like to offer some advice, if it isn’t improper of me?” She was proper in every way, and if her clothes didn’t give away the fact that she came from money, then sitting down and having a conversation with her would. He nodded shyly.

“Perhaps you should try… talking less… and smiling more. Get more to the point, let them interpret your words into their lives. And you look cuter when you smile.” She joked at the end, but he felt his cheeks heat up at her words again. He stuttered, looking for the right words to say, and she couldn’t help but chuckle. 

“If you let people know what you stand for, they’ll ridicule you or worse.” She muttered, and this time he fell silent. He pondered her words, and decided to wait until she came to a service to explain more. 

An obnoxious voice rose above the other noise in the room, calling out for Alexandra with a giggle and the slamming of a glass. A woman behind her stood, her black curls bouncing with the sudden movement. She stood behind Alexandra, who was now blushing out of embarrassment. The woman’s green eyes stared Eli down, and there was clear mischief in them. 

“Like I said.” Alexandra laughed, though the woman ignored this.

“I never took you as the type to go for guys like this.” The woman muttered, though Eli could still hear her. Alexandra could see the slight expression of pain, but she wasn’t aware of how often he dealt with comments like that. 

“Mr. Sunday, my cousin, Jane Laurens.” Alexandra introduced. She didn’t intend on her family intruding on her conversation. 

“The other two are also my cousins. The brunette is Leanna, and the other one is Hera.” Jane rolled her eyes at the mere mention of Hera.

“My beloved twin.” She proclaimed dramatically, but she didn’t notice the shift in Eli’s demeanor at the mention of a twin. Alexandra, on the other hand, was rather quick to pick up on it. 

“I was just telling this kind man I’d attend a service at his church.” Alexandra changed the subject, to which Jane raised an eyebrow. She leaned forward, leaning on the back of her cousin’s chair. She knew that while Alexandra was religious, she never went out of her way to join a church. It was something she picked up from her parents. 

“Oh, I see.” She sounded equal parts confused and disappointed. Alexandra looked up at her inquisitively. 

“And what were  **_you_ ** doing?” Jane immediately blushed, looking at the pale man across from her and Alexandra, and then the floor. She laughed awkwardly.

“Just talking about the fashion here.” Alexandra smiled again, and once more Eli was reminded of why he was rambling earlier. Her smile was angelic, though he was worried that even thinking such a thing was blasphemous. It was disheartening to know that she was only staying for two weeks at most, but he wanted to make an impression on her. 

When he returned to the real world, he realized that Jane had gone back to her table, and Alexandra was staring at him expectantly. He wasn’t sure what she said, so all he could do was stare. She looked like the paintings of angels, with fair skin and light golden hair and shining blue eyes. There was a light dusting of red across her cheeks that were definitely left over from her embarrassment and the heat from the California sun. She was beautiful, and the more he thought of this the more worried he became. He refused to lust after her, he wouldn’t sin for her, as much as he wanted to. 

“Let me buy you a drink.” She offered, waving over a waiter who quickly rushed to her side. This was no doubt due to her status. 

“May I ask what you’re doing here? You said your family was passing through.” He asked. She nodded as the waiter rushed off to grab whatever she ordered for him, he wasn’t paying attention.

“Well, my parents bought land just north of here. It’s closer to Oregon, actually, but we want to look at what it was they bought. They wanted me to inherit it, it was their dying wish before they passed.”

“You’re an orphan?” She looked down, nodding solemnly.

“I’m afraid so.” She was quiet now, and he wondered how long she’d been orphaned for. She looked up at him again, this time there was a bitter smile on her lips, one that told him he struck a nerve. Part of him ever regretted asking, but the other part hoped that maybe - just maybe - he could fill that void. 

He didn’t believe in love at first sight, not before anyway, but this girl… this girl who seemed so lost in life, this girl who resorted to sitting around in seedy bars with her insidious cousins; she had convinced him. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to save her from an eternity in hell or if he just wanted her to himself, but he was sure of one thing: he wanted to whisk her away from there, to where was a whole other question. His church? Perhaps. Anywhere was better than where she currently was. 

“And where is this church? I’ve only heard about it, although it’s mostly just whispers from other outsiders.” She whispered, and he felt the urge to roll his eyes. The  _ other  _ outsiders, of course, were brought in by that arrogant “oil man.” He knew not to hate, but he couldn’t help but loathe that man and for a brief moment he worried that her family was brought in by him, despite her explaining that wasn’t the case. 

“Ah yes, the others. Well, they come in, and I do try my best to save them but… the devil is strong in them. Though, there’s hope if they came to me.” She didn’t respond to this, instead opting to look down and let out a small hum. 

She enjoyed his company, even if they had been talking for only an hour. He was passionate, well spoken, respectful - and adorable. She enjoyed watching him, seeing the things that went through his head only through his expressions. The way his eyes lit up when he talked about his church, or when he listened to her talk, or when he watched her when he thought she wasn’t looking. Everything that was said that day was in total agreement, and yet she felt drawn to him. 

She wanted to see him again, that was the first thought that ran through her head as she entered her carriage, glancing back at him for one last time. He gave a small smile, still clutching his hat. She knew she’d see him in two days, but she couldn’t wait. 

Jane pulled her arm playfully, whining about how she was holding them up. With a small wave out the window, she was gone.


End file.
